1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the storage of recording media, for example compact discs. More particularly, the invention relates to a compact disc (CD) container. Still more particularly, it relates to a container that allows ejecting compact discs upon opening the container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Containers currently being used to store compact discs comprise a base member having a cover or top member hingeably connected along one edge thereof. A generally circular formation of a plurality of upwardly extending resiliently deformable fingers is generally centrally located within the base member. In moving from the base member, the fingers first extend inwardly and at their uppermost ends extend outwardly. The upper parts of the fingers define a support, on which a compact disc may be located. The support is resiliently deformed as a compact disc is pushed onto it with the fingers flexing inwardly and then outwardly to bear against the central aperture in the disc and allow the disc to be held firmly in position.
To remove a disc from such a container, a user must uncouple the top and bottom members of the container and pivot the top member about the hinge connection. The user then must push down on the upper ends of the fingers of the support for the compact disc and, at the same time, grasp the edges of the disc and lift it away from the support. It will be appreciated that these disc containers can be difficult to open to enable releasing a disc being stored therein. After it has been opened, young children with small hands find it particularly difficult to apply the necessary force to extract a compact disc from the container.
Arrangements seeking to alleviate or overcome the noted difficulties are also known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,344 discloses a housing for a plurality of holders for compact discs. Each holder for a compact disc is provided with a helical torsion spring, with the longer spring arm extending obliquely toward the rear wall of the housing. Each holder is biased in the ejection direction since the spring is normally in the xe2x80x9cloadedxe2x80x9d condition. There is also a release button, and it is possible to release the holder from the locked position within the housing by pressing the release button.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,157 discloses an ejectable compact disc case. To remove the disc from the case, an actuator bar, whose end projects outside the case, is pushed toward rear wall of the case. A pivot arm of a drive lever cooperates with the actuator bar in a rack-and-pinion manner. The pivot arm rotates, and the rotation is translated into a linear movement of a sliding arm in the direction opposite to that of the actuator bar. A ring secured thereto supports a disc. Therefore, the disc, in its linear movement towards a front wall of the case, which is hinged to a top or bottom wall thereof, opens the front wall. A spindle is also provided within the ring. Once the spindle passes the end of the bottom wall, it pivots downwardly and thereby frees the disc.
An ejectable compact disc container according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,721 allows the user to open the container and eject the disc into a CD player using only one hand. The user opens a front wall of the container pivotally connected thereto and slides a knob in a slot made in a cover portion of the container. The knob is secured to a tray portion carrying the disc. The user then holds the container adjacent to the player so as to enable the latter to grasp the disc and remove it from the tray portion. U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,939 improved the previous one in terms of at providing means for stopping the forward movement of the disc-supporting tray.
International Publication No. WO 95/05661 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,246 disclose a compact disc container having a slot in one edge through which the disc can be slid into and out of the container and a pivotally mounted ejector for engaging an edge of the disc to displace it at least partly from the container. The disc ejector comprises an arm movable in the container and having a curved portion complementary to the shape of the edge of the disc. The arm is coupled by a web to a user operable trigger located outside the container and pivotally secured thereto.
UK Pat. Application No. 2 297 079 discloses a compact disc container in the form of a shallow box, the entry to which is arranged through one of the narrow sides so that the disc is slid in and out edgewise. There is a thin flexible liner shielding the disc, or it may be received in a tray. The main face of the container is provided with a slot so that the disc can be worked by finger or thumb.
International Pat. Publication No. WO 95/06608 discloses a compact disc storage box, in which side walls have thin flexible end portions for allowing the release of the disc by pushing inwardly on the end portion, making the bottom wall return to a molded curvature and partially ejecting the disc. International Pat. Publication No. WO 99/29594 discloses a compact disc storage case including a plastic box and a spring inside the box adjacent its rear side. One part of the spring is fixedly secured to the box, whereas a movable part when released can eject the disc.
The above-described compact disc containers are fairly complex in design that presents certain disadvantages in the process of manufacturing them.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an ejectable compact disc container that, while preserving the advantages of the known compact disc containers, would be free of their drawbacks.
The above objective is met in the invention by virtue of an ejectable compact disc container comprising a housing and means for ejecting a compact disc from the housing. The housing is made in the form of a parallelepiped that is closed on five of its six sides, whereas the sixth side of the housing is articulated on one of its ends to a side wall of the housing, thus constituting a lid of the housing. The ejecting means engage the compact disc and are operated by the lid. Due to that, the compact disc is being received into the container upon closing the lid, and the disc is pushed out of the container upon opening the lid.
The ejecting means include an ejector arm, and an ejector link. The ejector arm is located in the housing, adapted to engage an edge of the compact disc distant from the lid, and operable through a pivotal connection to the ejector link, which in turn is adapted to be actuated by the lid.
The container also comprises a divider placed within the housing. The plane of the divider is substantially parallel to planes of front and back panels of the housing, so two compartments are formed within the housing. One of the compartments accommodates the compact disc, and it is in this compartment that the ejector arm and ejector link are located.
The surface of the back panel and a surface of the divider facing each other can be covered with a protective lining.
To facilitate placing the disc into the container, the edge of the divider adjacent to the lid can be beveled to form a lead-in area for the disc.
The compartment accommodating the compact disc is located between the divider and the back panel, whereas in the compartment located between the divider and the front panel the latter is made clear to thus allow contents of this compartment to be visible from outside.
The ratio of dimensions between the ejector link and the ejector arm, as well as the stroke of the ejector link between its extreme positions at a full-open and full-closed positions of the lid are selected in such a way that the compact disc be ejected past its center hole to facilitate easy removal of the disc.
It will be understood that overall dimensions of the case according to the present invention will not depart from those adopted by the industry, so the case can be readily kept in storage racks, cabinets, etc., now on the market.